The Imaginary Suitcase is the one in which Belgian singer-songwriter Laurent Leemans keeps his dead or barely breathing illusions and the cherished memories of fantasized lives. Laurent used to be the singer of folk-rock outfit Ceilí Moss from 1996 to 2015 and of arty-new wave band La Vierge du Chancelier Rolin in the nineties. This solo project started in 2012, when the desire to breathe life into some Ceilí Moss leftovers grew stronger than the fear of becoming the zillionth crashing bore who whines his small time existentialism over two and a half chords.

What to expect ? A bittersweet mixture of passion, sincerity, melancholy and dark energy carried along (not always) crystal clear melodies by a strong, low, versatile and powerful voice, that will as easily caress, tickle or scratch, deceptively simple guitar chords and lyrics that deal with life, death and the confusing bits in between with a healthy portion of sarcasm.

Comparison is not reason, but it helps to know where we’re going, so let’s go : if you’re a fan of 16 Horsepower/Wovenhand, Nick Cave (before he became boring), Suzanne Vega, Rowland S. Howard, Leonard Cohen, Hugo Race, Paul Roland or Joseph Arthur, there is a fair chance you will enjoy travelling with this suitcase.

The Imaginary Suitcase has released 10 recordings and played a 300something concerts in Belgium, France and the Netherlands.